Sam Smith has opened up about how her image has changed over the course of her career as they made a splash with a stunning cover shoot.
The 30-year-old singer opened up about her rise to fame at age 22 with her debut studio album, In the Lonely Hour, and how they wanted to “fit in” back then.
Sam, who is non-binary and uses the pronouns “they/they,” admitted they then “unfortunately” had to conform while speaking while posing for a Rolling Stone UK shoot.
Unbelievable: Sam Smith has opened up about how her image has changed over the course of her career as they caused a storm for a stunning cover shoot
They told the publication: “During the time people knew me – from In the Lonely Hour, aged 22 – was a time when I didn’t want to dress up so much; It was a time when I wanted to take a break and adapt.
“And then I got tired of conforming and wanted to go back to who I was when I was younger.”
The Too Good At Goodbyes hitmaker went on to admit that early in her career she was “terrified” of expressing her “sex” and “happiness” through her music.
They said they were concerned about discussing such “private” subjects in their songs and admitted they felt they needed to “break out of it”.
Candid: The 30-year-old singer opened up about her rise to fame at the age of 22 and how they wanted to ‘fit in’ when they caused a stir for a Rolling Stone UK cover shoot
They continued, “I stumbled upon this world, and it wasn’t the world I thought it was. I was afraid to express certain things… my sex in music, my happiness in music.
“Those issues were incredibly private at times and I felt more comfortable showing other sides of myself, I didn’t feel oppressed but I definitely felt like I definitely needed to break out towards the end.”
Sam and Kim Petras recently topped the global charts with the Grammy-nominated song “Unholy,” and made history as the first non-binary and transgender stars, respectively, to each have a #1 hit.
Sam, who is preparing for the Jan. 27 release of her fourth album Gloria, said their success has shown that “queer music is for everyone,” as they spoke of growing up surrounded by music about straight love.
Frank: Sam, who is non-binary and uses she/them pronouns, admitted they then got tired of conforming
As well as opening up about her evolving music career, Sam also caused a stir in an incredible cover shoot, rocking an array of stylish outfits.
Sam wore a range of t-shirts featuring chart-topping musicians including Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, Rihanna and ABBA.
For one look, Sam styled a black printed t-shirt with a smart blazer and a pair of chunky black boots, accessorised with a necklace and teardrop earrings.
In another sensational take, Sam flexed her arm muscles as they posed in a black vest top printed with an image of Lady Gaga’s The Fame Monster album cover.
Honest: The Too Good At Goodbyes hitmaker went on to admit that early in their music career they were “terrified” of expressing their “sex” and “happiness” through their music
Stylish: As well as opening up about her evolving music career, Sam also caused quite a stir in an incredible cover shoot, rocking an array of stylish outfits
They styled their top with a pair of faded blue jeans and showed off their intricate arm tattoos in the shot.
In another picture, Sam wore a white t-shirt with pink long sleeves and a picture of Britney Spears, which they styled with baggy blue jeans.
They wore a pair of black lace-up boots and added a touch of sparkle with a pearl necklace and white earrings.
Sam also dressed to impress, in a white vest top with Rihanna’s Rated R album cover printed on it, while they slung a black jacket over their arms.
Music: Sam wore a series of t-shirts featuring chart-topping musicians including Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, Rihanna and ABBA
For a different look, the pop star wore a Freddie Mercury t-shirt styled with a white shirt dress and distressed blue jeans.
They also wore a pair of chunky black boots and a faded denim jacket over their t-shirt.
Sam also styled a black ABBA t-shirt with denim shorts and a long black jacket with white stitching for the photo shoot.
Sam has been busy preparing for the release of his fourth studio album, Gloria, and recently announced that they will be embarking on a 27-day tour of North America.
Sensational: Sam also dressed to impress in a white vest top with Rihanna’s Rated R album cover printed on it while they slung a black jacket over their arms
The North American tour will be added to their European tour, which kicks off in Sheffield in April with performances across the UK before appearing in Berlin, Oslo and Cologne, among others.
They will perform songs by Gloria, which will be released later this month and will include her Grammy-nominated single Unholy.
On Instagram, Sam announced that the tour would begin in Miami on July 25th and end in Ciudad de Mexico on September 25th.
Exciting: Sam has been busy preparing for the release of his fourth studio album Gloria and recently announced they will be embarking on a 27-date tour of North America
Accompanying their exciting announcement, they wrote: “GLORIA – THE TOUR. NORTH AMERICA. This is going to be so special, it’s been too long sailors!! I can’t wait to see all your gorgeous faces and celebrate the era of GLORIA together.
Log in using the link in my stories to receive the presale password and gain access to limited presale tickets starting Wednesday 11th at 9am local time. General sale tickets go on sale at the venue from Friday 13th at 9am. I love you all… Sx’
Read the full article at www.rollingstone.co.uk.
Busy Schedule: Taking to Instagram, Sam announced that the tour would begin in Miami on July 25 and conclude in Ciudad de Mexico on September 25